Does it make sense? James William Shealy in 1880

When evaluating profiles at Family Search, or even your tree, it can be important to stop and ask, “Does it make sense?” FamilySearch is known for having a lot of profiles with little to no evidence and many assumed, incorrect connections. Many problems are obviously wrong, such as a child being born after a mother has died. Other conflicts are less obvious, but the combined vital statistics, relationships, and sources may be confusing.

James William Shealy

Does it make sense? James William Shealy profiles.
Does it make sense? James William Shealy profiles.

James William Shealy was the son of Peter Shealy and Grace Ann Snelgrove. He was born about 1859 in Lexington County, South Carolina.1 James William was living with his parents in the 1860 U.S. Census with his brother John Edmond Shealy. James William’s father was killed in the Civil War at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.2 His mother appears to have died by 1870 because James and John are living with a woman named Nancy Hipp.3 It is not clear if Nancy was just a neighbor or a relative.

FamilySearch showed James William with a wife and children in Rhode Island. The profile indicated that he married in Rhode Island and all of his children were born in Rhode Island. I had added an 1880 Census record hint that added a different wife and child in South Carolina to my Ancestry tree. Which one is correct and does it make sense?

Evaluate the Sources

To know which profile is correct, it is necessary to evaluate the sources. The sources for James William need to be analyzed, as well as the sources for his family members, especially his brother John Edmond. Since these boys were orphaned at a young age, it would make sense if these boys stayed close.

Peter Shealy’s probate does not specify a guardian for the boys. There may have been guardianship paperwork for the boys, but records were not found. Guardianship papers would have named a guardian to care for the boys and established an allowance for their care. Peter Shealy’s estate was not probated until about 1874, over ten years after his death. This was likely due to the Reconstruction era when cities and local governments were being rebuilt, and families were trying to figure out how to survive. In other words, the boys likely had to depend on the kindness of their neighbor Nancy Hipp and possibly extended family to survive.

Where was John Edmond Shealy living in 1880? It would make sense for James William to be close by. James William would have been about 19 years old. There could be several possible scenarios of what may have happened to James William. He could have been married and on his own or working as a laborer on a farm as a single man by 1880. Since the boys were orphans living with a neighbor in 1870, they likely became their own support system. If they were passed around to extended family members, they may have leaned on each other to survive constant change.

1880 U.S. Census

John Edmond Shealy was living in Germanville, Edgefield, South Carolina in the Albert Ergle household. Albert’s household also has a woman named Ephis Hare aged 60 years old. Next door was a John W. Hare with his family and a William Shealy. Is this William Shealy John Edmond’s brother James William Shealy?

Edgefield County is not far from Lexington County, so it is plausible for the boys to reside in another county in 1880. Does it make sense for John Edmond to be living in Albert Ergle’s household? Could Ephis Hare be a relative?

Peter Shealy’s mother was Barbara Nancy Hare, so the boys could be living with extended family in 1880. How are Ephis Hare and the other individuals in the 1880 Census related to the boys?

Epsy Hare

The FamilySearch Family tree provided the answers. Expanding and exploring the tree for Barbara Nancy Hare helped to identify how Epsy Hare was related. Epsy Mary Shealy married Edward Hare in about 1838 in Lexington County, South Carolina. Edward Hare is the brother of Barbara Nancy Hare. This would make Epsy Hare the aunt of James William and John Edmond.

Hare Family Tree at FamilySearch showing Epsy Hare.
Hare Family Tree at FamilySearch showing Epsy Hare.

Albert Ergle/Eargle is the son-in-law of Epsy Hare. Albert married Epsy’s daughter Sarah Nancy Hare on 28 October 1866. John Wesley Hare is the son of Edward Hare and Epsy.

This means that John Edmond was living with extended family, his aunt Epsy and cousin Sarah Nancy Ergle in Germanville, Edgefield, South Carolina. Since John Wesley, another cousin, is next door farming, it would make sense for James William to be there as well. William Shealy in John Wesley’s household was about 20 years old and born in South Carolina. The name, age, and birth location are a match for James William Shealy.

Does it make sense?

Evidence analysis for John Edmond showed that James William Shealy was living with a cousin in 1880 in Germanville, Edgefield, South Carolina.4 FamilySearch claimed James William married a woman in Rhode Island and had children there. Does this make sense?

No. It is unlikely for James William to move so far away from his brother and extended family. It is also unlikely for James William to move north to Rhode Island. After all, his father was killed in the Civil War. Would he have been able to forgive the Yankees enough to marry one? It is possible, but unlikely.

A closer look at the attached sources on the James William Shealy profile shows that the sources were mixed up and attached to the wrong person. The census records were for James William Shelley born in 1860 in Rhode Island. Because of the similar names, it would be easy to confuse the two individuals.

The James William Shealy profile needed to be cleaned up to reflect the information that could be proven from the records.:

  1. James William Shealy was detached from the Rhode Island wife and children.
  2. Each source record for Rhode Island was detached
  3. The death date and place for Rhode Island were deleted.
  4. The residence locations in Rhode Island were deleted.
  5. The 1880 U.S. Census record for Germanville, Edgefield, South Carolina was attached.

Next Steps

Now that James William Shealy’s profiles are cleaned up, new avenues of research become available. Additional records could be searched in Edgefield County, South Carolina. Is James William or William Shealy in the 1900 U.S. Census? Did he marry and have children? Did he buy land and start farming? Maybe.

Does it make sense? Asking this question can help guide your Family History Research. It helped sort out James William Shealy. Give it a try.

Sources

  1. “United States Census, 1860”, , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZTD-QPD : Sun Mar 10 18:25:17 UTC 2024), Entry for Peter Shealy and Grace A Shealy, 1860.
  2. “Lexington County, South Carolina Estate Papers, Ca. 1863-1900,” case file for Peter Shealy 1830-1863, box 53; digital images, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 April 2024); citing South Carolina. Probate Court (Lexington County).
  3. “United States Census, 1870”, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8RL-ZD1 : Tue Mar 05 05:47:36 UTC 2024), Entry for Nancy Hipp and John Shealy, 1870.
, , ,

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *